The Devil


"Beware the trappings of vices for they are your self-inflicted chains of bondage. Why be a slave to things that harm you when you can drop them and walk away?" 

This card forced me out of the Mesopotamian Empire and into a more modern culture because a singular "devil" did not show up in their religion until Zoroastrian came about. Even to this day with Islam, their "Devil" is not an all around evil character, he is like all djinn, neutral.

Here we see Ahriman mounted upon Azhi Dahaka. He is not evil incarnate at all times. He is chaotic neutral. He can come dressed as everything you need and want, he can help you with everything that will give you comfort, he can ask for nothing or everything in return, or he can ruin you out of sheer boredom. Azhi Dahaka is a wonder in himself; he is a chaos dragon who brings storms to the desert (such a benevolence), will grant money as a greed driven dragon, but being chaos aligned anything he grants can be given in a screw up way. With these two, you want to watch what you ask for (remind you of the genie lore?).

The two in front have the loose chains seen in the RWS deck and they are not showing any signs of being in distress about their bondage. Their eyes are aglow with golden dire for the items they lust after. I filled the card with typical vices: a temple maiden for lust, hookah for drugs, food for gluttony, jewels and clothing for vanity, and various work tools for "working a job you hate." There is also a little scapegoat for both Capricorn and the pertinacity of people using others as a scapegoat. (The tradition of scapegoats originated in the middle east by telling your sins to a goat and offering it to the desert where Azazel lie waiting to devour it, with the sins. Thus rendering you cleansed.)

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